Response to Gezaee Haile Michael

Getachew Reda

Nov. 24 2008

Dear brother Gezaee: I read your article titled under the “the Ethiopian Government must do something to the people to it claimed to represent” posted on Tigray online.com

Your feeling of bitterness regarding the Ethiopians in different Arab countries is legitimate. You are the first person to hear commenting this situation after I wrote to VOA Tigringa program and also posted their situation (in particular the Tigrayans’ sufferings in Saudi Arabia and in Egypt back in June19/2008. Imagine that? I cried, scream loud on the International radio and on other Ethiopian medias including on my blog www.ethiopiansemay.blogspot.com asking for help, so that we come all together write a petition and if necessary to bring lawyers to those who are languishing without any legitimate causes, to relieve them least from the whipping that they are punished every morning for the last two years. None Tigrayan or any Ethiopian came to response to my appeal.

I intention to write you a response was not meant to undermine your legitimate concern. I am here to response to the question you impose to us the media owners asking us “What about the so called Ethiopian presses? Where are the Ethiopian Journalists? Where are the Ethiopian writers? Must we forget our selves and our people by talking only about Meles all along?”Well, there I was on June 19/2008 crying, appealing, to all of you to contact me to do something about the situation “none of you response to my appeal to come to rescue those who are victims of race, religion and politics suffering in Arab lands by Arab slave masters. I ask back what were you people reading back then when my appeal was posted all over including on my blog and heard my appeal all over the world through VOA Tigring radio? I am not really blaming you, but, I am just responding to your question by asking back a question. When I do that I made a copy of appeal to do something about it to each website owners, including to this website editor.

Dear my friend Gezaee, I know, you for a while now, that you are among the few who spoke his mind. I have defended you and you stood beside me when the Aiga cadre (the sale out Meles/Sebhat servants) attacked our legitimate concerns/views. But, I am just trying to re-address the situation of those mentioned victims one more time since you came to comment about it. In no way that I am disrespect your legitimate and heart felt concern for those brothers and sisters suffering in the Arab lands.

You do not know how much frustration and stressed I felt after I have posted and appealed on VOA to address their situation after hearing . But, no one came to response to the appeal. Let me chat with you and my reader brothers and sisters out hear one story with you regarding my frustration regarding this situation. I emailed and phoned many Tigrayans in private beside the public appealed for coming together to help the prisoners in Saudi Arabia and Egypt asking them to help me preparing English language a written letter of appeal on behalf of the prisoners to be addressed to the Ambassadors of the mentioned countries and their Kings and including online petition (as you can see, I am not as good as the Tigringa/Amharic language skill I have). None emailed me back, some gave me different reasons. I finally contacted an old friend with PhD knowledge who was active in the opposition group for a long time (Though, I do knot know his current stand and activity regarding politics). Literally, I begged him to prepare me an appeal of letter, he expressed his admiration and respect he had for me regarding the concern and effort I was tried to get to freed the victims from their sufferings.

I called back, he said he will do it this week, I called back, it is halve done, I call the next week, the letter need more additional thoughts to it to expand it after he learned reading more story about them on my Blog. I called the next week after, then after then after------- “Ye-Wuha Shita” as the Amharic proverb says it. This was what I went through since June 19/2008. No scholar, no media, none what so ever came to do some thing about it. It is fine, with me even if they do not like me in person in case as I always tells them who they are on their face> But, what protected them to do it themselves after I made their appeal public? What made me feel guilty still is that these poor victims languishing in Saudi Arabia after they learn and heard me on VOA saying we Tigrayans and others will be on your side ready to write an appeal of letter and protest in front of their Embassy, so that sooner or later you will get remedy. That promise I gave to those poor Tigrayans in Saudi Arabia and in Egypt on VOA trusting all of you my brothers and sisters Tigrayans and others to come as one to help the victims ended me as a liar that never kept his promise to help them was really a shocking stick on my head still felt guilt though I one person did what I can, but none of you came to my appeal to help them since June 19, 2000.

This was what frustrated me. Right after that, our brothers and sisters from Tigray organized themselves here in the USA calling each other to receive a warm welcome to Siye Abraha and Gebru Asrat. You know the rest of the story. How can one be looking for justice and unity if failed to come together to share the suffering of own fellow citizen (Tigrot) when his brothers and sisters fallen into the Arab slave master pry? Who need more gathering of help? Siye and Gebru or the poor who are getting 50 lashes of whip every morning by the cruel Arabs? I will leave it here for you to think about it. Good job my brother Gezaee Haile Michael for reminding me to come and pour my disappointment and anger here on behalf of the victims still suffering in Saudi Arabia jail getting 50 lashes of whip every morning to finish a total of 5000 lashes sentenced by the savage Arab judges in Saudi Arabian courts. If anyone is interested to revise and read the appeal and suffering of those brothers and sisters in jail still in Saudi Arabia- please visit two topics Tigrayans are suffering hellish persecution in Saudi Arabiaya and the other topic also Tsegay Berhe's Hotchpotch at Pal Talk geza tegaru